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McDavid, Eichel celebrate overtime winners

by
Mike G. Morreale
/ NHL.com

Erie Otters center Connor McDavid and Boston University center Jack Eichel are expected to be among the top two skaters on NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings to be revealed exclusively Tuesday on NHL.com.

Each player scored an overtime goal this past weekend to propel his team to victory.

EICHEL VS MCDAVID

McDavid, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, has an eight-game point streak that includes at least one goal in six of those games. Even though he just turned 18, McDavid ranks No. 5 on the list of 100 people of power and influence in this month's edition of The Hockey News.

Since returning to the lineup from a hand injury sustained on Nov. 11, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound left-shot captain has a point in five straight games (five goals, nine points). His second goal of the game against the North Bay Battalion on Saturday came with 2:13 remaining in overtime to give Erie a 6-5 win.

"You can certainly see why Connor is our leader," Erie coach Kris Knoblauch told GoErie.com. "Before he scored that goal, in the last 10 minutes, he was just itching to get that game-winning goal. He was jumping over the boards. He was ready to go make that difference, and he certainly did make that difference on that goal."

McDavid broke in 2-on-1 with Remi Elie and controlled the puck while working his way around the opposing defense in the slot before depositing his 21st goal of the season. It was another example of his patience, vision and great hands with the puck. McDavid has seven goals and 18 points during his eight-game point streak.

Erie will next play against the Guelph Storm on Friday but not before McDavid captains Team Bobby Orr in the BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Thursday at the Meridian Centre in St. Catherines, Ontario.

Eichel continues to lead the nation in points per game (1.70), assists per game (1.15) and plus/minus (plus-20). After being held to one assist and two shots on goal in a 4-2 loss to rival Boston College on Friday, Eichel had an assist and scored the game-winner 1:18 into overtime in a 4-3 win against UMass-Lowell on Sunday.

Eichel drew a boarding penalty 1:09 into OT and then ended the game off a blast from the top of the right circle on the power play nine seconds later. The win by Boston University was its first against UMass-Lowell since Feb. 17, 2012, a stretch of eight games (1-6-1).

In addition to his overtime heroics, Eichel has been showing steady improvement on faceoffs; he went 15-for-27 against Boston College and 23-for-34 against UMass Lowell. The Terriers will next play back-to-back games against the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vt., on Friday and Saturday.